GMKtec M3 Pro S

The GMKtec M3 Pro S is a palm-sized Windows desktop for office work, browsing, and video calls on up to three 4K monitors. It is the same size as the GMKtec NucBox M3 Pro, but GMKtec fits a slower 8-core Intel Core i5-13420H in place of the M3 Pro’s 12-core i5-13500H and solders 16GB of LPDDR4 memory to the board. The 16GB covers office work today, but it is soldered and can never be raised. It has three M.2 slots for adding drives later.

Pros and cons

GMKtec M3 Pro S Comparison Chart

	GMKtec M3 Pro S
Price	List Price: $460.00 Amazon Prices: Loading prices...
Version	16GB/512GB/Core i5-13420H
Performance Rating	4.3
CPU Mark	16,727
Operating System	Windows 11 Pro
Processor	Octa-core 2.10 Ghz (max 4.60 Ghz) Intel Core i5-13420H
GPU	Integrated Intel UHD Graphics
RAM	16 GB LPDDR4 (LPDDR4-3200, soldered)
Internal Storage	512 GB NVMe SSD
Dimensions width x length x thickness	4.49 x 4.17 x 1.67 inches (114.05 x 105.92 x 42.42 mm)
Weight	0.95 lbs (0.43 kg)
WiFi	Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax)
Bluetooth	Bluetooth 5.2
Ethernet	1 Ethernet port at 2.5 Gbps
HDMI	2 Full-Size HDMI Ports
DisplayPort	DP Alt Mode via rear USB-C (4K60)
VGA	No VGA Ports
USB Ports	4 USB 3, 1 USB-C Front: 2x USB-A 10Gbps. Rear: 2x USB-A 10Gbps, USB-C (DP)
Thunderbolt Ports	No
OCuLink	No
Internal SATA Ports	No SATA ports
Card Reader	No Card Reader
Headphone Jack	3.5mm
Fanless	No
VESA Mount	Yes
In the Box	Mini PC, power adapter, HDMI cable, VESA mount, manual
Expandability	16GB LPDDR4 soldered, no RAM upgrade. M.2 2280 PCIe 4.0 x4 plus M.2 2242 SATA and M.2 2280 SATA, up to 10TB total.

See every Intel Core i5-13420H configuration in the chart

Four fast USB-A ports, three M.2 slots, and memory that cannot be upgraded

The M3 Pro S measures about 4.5 x 4.2 x 1.7 inches and weighs a little under a pound. It has dark grey sides with slotted vents and a glossy black lid with the GMKtec logo. GMKtec describes a copper heat-pipe cooler with a fan, and a VESA mount comes in the box for mounting it behind a monitor.

The front holds the power button and two 10Gbps USB-A ports. The back has the DC input, two HDMI 2.0 ports, the 2.5GbE port, two more 10Gbps USB-A ports, a 3.5mm audio jack, and a USB-C port. GMKtec rates the USB-C port for 4K60 DisplayPort output, 5Gbps data, and USB PD 3.0 at up to 100W. With both HDMI ports and the USB-C port in use, the box drives three 4K displays at 60Hz. Wireless is Wi-Fi 6 with Bluetooth 5.2.

The 16GB of LPDDR4-3200 is soldered to the board, and GMKtec lists 16GB as the maximum. That is the main difference from the M3 Pro, which has two DDR4 SO-DIMM slots that take up to 64GB. Running several virtual machines at once can use up 16GB.

Storage has three M.2 positions on the US model: a 2280 slot at PCIe 4.0 x4 that takes drives up to 8TB, a 2242 SATA slot, and a 2280 SATA slot, each SATA slot rated for drives up to 1TB. The installed 512GB drive is an NVMe SSD. GMKtec’s Hong Kong distributor lists only the two SATA slots for its market and says PCIe drives are not supported there, so buyers outside the US should check the spec sheet for their region. SATA M.2 drives top out near 550MB/s, so the two extra slots suit bulk storage such as media and backups rather than a second fast system drive.

Core i5-13420H performance and graphics

The Intel Core i5-13420H is a 13th Gen Raptor Lake laptop chip that Intel launched in early 2023. It has four performance cores and four efficient cores for 12 threads, 12MB of cache, and a 4.6GHz top boost. It scores about 16,700 on PassMark’s CPU Mark, against about 20,900 for the 12-core Core i5-13500H in the M3 Pro. GMKtec quotes a Geekbench 6 single-core score of 2,186 for the chip. The box has three power modes at 28W, 35W, and 45W.

The integrated graphics are Intel UHD Graphics with 48 execution units and a top clock of 1.4GHz. That handles 4K video playback, three office displays, and older or light games, but it is a step down from the Iris Xe graphics in the M3 Pro, and current 3D games are out of reach. There is no NPU.

How the M3 Pro S differs from the M3 Pro

The two models share the case size, the triple 4K output, the 2.5GbE port, and Wi-Fi 6. The M3 Pro has the faster 12-core Core i5-13500H with Iris Xe graphics, two DDR4 SO-DIMM slots for up to 64GB, two M.2 slots, and a barebone version for buyers who bring their own parts. The M3 Pro S trades the memory slots for soldered LPDDR4, drops to the 8-core i5-13420H with UHD graphics, swaps the rear USB 2.0 port for a fourth 10Gbps USB-A port, and adds a third M.2 slot. The Getorli AT103 uses the same Core i5-13420H with two DDR4 SO-DIMM slots, if upgradeable memory on this chip matters more than a third drive slot.

Who should buy it

The M3 Pro S fits an office or home desk where the work is documents, browsing, email, and video calls across two or three monitors, and where 16GB will cover the life of the machine. The three M.2 slots and 2.5GbE port also make it workable as a small file or media box that collects drives over time.

Skip it if you expect to need more than 16GB of memory, since the soldered LPDDR4 cannot be changed. The GMKtec NucBox M3 Pro takes up to 64GB in a case of the same size with a faster chip, and the GMKtec K12 adds USB4 and two DDR5 SO-DIMM slots. Gamers and anyone planning local AI work should look at Ryzen or Core Ultra models with stronger graphics, which the Mini PC Comparison Chart can filter for.

Frequently Asked Questions